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Ornery vs Crabby - What's the difference?

ornery | crabby |

As adjectives the difference between ornery and crabby

is that ornery is (appalachian) cantankerous, stubborn, disagreeable while crabby is visibly irritated or annoyed; grouchy, irritable, in a foul mood; given to complaining or finding fault in an annoyed way.

ornery

English

Adjective

(er)
  • (Appalachian) Cantankerous, stubborn, disagreeable.
  • * 1990 . , Rabbit at Rest
    • “Grandpa, what’s ‘ornery’?” / “Oh, you know. Mean. Contrary. Rebellious.”
  • * 1939 . From the Script of (1939)
    • Curley: "I ain't sayin' I don't share your sentiments, Buck, but you're a born fool. First place Luke would kill the Kid in a gun-fight. Second place if Luke did get shot he's got two brothers just as ornery as he is, and if Ike Plummer didn't kill the Kid then Hank Plummer would."
  • (humorous, Southern US) Mischievous, prankish, teasing, disagreeable but in a good way.
  • (obsolete) Commonplace, inferior.

    • Derived terms

    * ornerily * orneriness

    crabby

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • visibly irritated or annoyed; grouchy, irritable, in a foul mood; given to complaining or finding fault in an annoyed way.
  • crabbed; difficult, or perplexing.

    • Derived terms

    * crabbily * crabbiness * crab